North America

South America

Peru

Peru is a treasure trove of iconic Incan sites, stunning nature and historical cities. We spent 51 nights there in spring 2018, travelling from Lima to Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Arequipa and Ica. So, how much does a trip to Peru cost? Here’s a look at how we managed to travel Peru on a budget, including break downs of our accommodation, food, transport and activity costs.

Machu Picchu: one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and South America’s most famous landmark. We wanted to visit this iconic Incan city in the sky as cheaply and independently as possible, so we planned a DIY trip that cost us less than £200 each. Want to do the same? Here’s our detailed guide on how to visit Machu Picchu on your own, without an expensive tour or guide.

Our four-month South America trip was filled with incredible experiences. We trekked through the Amazon rainforest, rode a bumpy jeep across the largest salt flat in the world, climbed up Machu Picchu mountain and watched the sunset from an eco-retreat in the Colombian mountains. It wasn’t all smooth sailing and there were definitely some things we weren’t prepared for though, including the high prices, freezing altitudes and meat-heavy menus.

Hello from Oregon, USA! I’m writing this from a caravan overlooking the red outcrops of Smith Rock State Park, with a cup of Earl Grey beside me, reflecting on how long it’s been since I blogged. In fact, my last post was back in Lake Titicaca, which now feels like years ago. Since then, we’ve travelled through Peru, visited Machu Picchu and spent three idyllic weeks road tripping in California. Somewhere along the way, amongst dealing with a ton of freelance work and a house-sitting disaster, I just had to let blogging go, but now I’m back.

Our Lake Titicaca trip was one of the best we've had in South America. We fell in love with Copacabana, a quiet town where we relaxed in hammock-studded gardens accompanied by alpacas, soaking up the sun and views of the never-ending lake. To explore Titicaca's treasures, we took boat trips to Isla del Sol and visited Peru's floating islands made of reeds, where families in neon outfits live in thatched houses.

The Galapagos Islands is undoubtedly one of South America’s top natural highlights, but also one of its most expensive, so what if you don’t have thousands of pounds to spare for the trip? Well, head to Paracas National Reserve in Peru instead. We took a boat trip from Paracas to the Ballestas Islands, known as ‘the poor man’s Galapagos’, for a fraction of the price and saw incredible flocks of birds, sea lions, penguins and rock formations.